Topics

Do the Winnipeg Jets need to pick up their power play to make the playoffs?

No.

Do they have to improve their penalty killing if they’re going to make the playoffs.

Not necessarily, although it probably wouldn’t hurt.

Much has been made of Winnipeg’s power-play woes lately, as the team has gone 1-for-32 since Feb. 5, but recent history shows a juggernaut with the man advantage isn’t always necessary.

Last year, only nine of the 16 playoff teams were in the top 16 when it came to power-play percentage. It was the same story when it came to penalty killing.

The only real difference is the Stanley Cup finalists, Los Angeles and New Jersey, had the No. 4 and No. 1 penalty killing numbers, respectively. New Jersey had the 14th best power play, and Los Angeles was 17th with the man advantage during the regular season.

So it looks like a better penalty killing unit will take you further. That’s not good news for the Jets, who are last in that department, but they have gone a season-high four games without allowing a power-play tally.

Even head coach Claude Noel admitted the outcomes of their games don’t rest on how the power play is clicking.

“There’s other parts of our game that allow us to win,” he said.

Going into Sunday night’s action, the Jets were 24th in power-play success and 30th in penalty killing. Three teams last year — Chicago, Detroit and Washington — made the playoffs with two special teams units that were both outside the top 16 in the league.

Nine playoff teams last year had worse power-play success rates than the Jets.

BLAME GAME

Chris Thorburn was in head coach Claude Noel’s cross hairs after Saturday’s game.

Noel was asked if Eric Fehr could’ve been called for interference on Washington’s second goal, but the coach instead pointed at Thorburn without naming him.

“We just should have went out to the player,” Noel said. “Should have just moved four feet, and we’d have been right on top of it. That would have been a better play.”

Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom won the draw to Troy Brouwer, who fired a quick shot that bounced off Thorburn and past Ondrej Pavelec. Thorburn then banged his stick in frustration.

STILL OFF TARGET

The Jets still haven’t cleaned up their act when it comes to shots missing the net.

More than two weeks ago Noel wanted his team to stop trying to be so fancy when firing the puck, but Winnipeg is still second in the league when it comes to missing the net, behind only Ottawa.

Jets coach Claude Noel not hung up on team's power-play stats

Do the Winnipeg Jets need to pick up their power play to make the playoffs?

No.

Do they have to improve their penalty killing if they’re going to make the playoffs.

Not necessarily, although it probably wouldn’t hurt.

Much has been made of Winnipeg’s power-play woes lately, as the team has gone 1-for-32 since Feb. 5, but recent history shows a juggernaut with the man advantage isn’t always necessary.

Last year, only nine of the 16 playoff teams were in the top 16 when it came to power-play percentage. It was the same story when it came to penalty killing.

The only real difference is the Stanley Cup finalists, Los Angeles and New Jersey, had the No. 4 and No. 1 penalty killing numbers, respectively. New Jersey had the 14th best power play, and Los Angeles was 17th with the man advantage during the regular season.